Tony

I'm currently looking at getting My Jeep converted to LPG. Having made some enquiries I have found that the £40M pounds allocated by the governemnt to the powershift grant scheme is almost used up. This means that the avaerage £700 grant will soon be withdrawn. The scheme was apparently set up to kick start the LPG market. Not all vehicle models are eligable for the scheme. Needless to say mine isn't on the list. :< I have also been informed that the government have promised to give three years notice of any intoduction of duty. How true this is I don't know. How many governments keep their promises? The latest figures show there are approx 100,000 LPG users in the UK. Compared to regular fuels this is a small fraction of a percent. You can see why the mainstream garages are either withdrawing the LPG pumps or are not bothering to install them. This is a shame as I think it deters people from converting for fear of not being able to fuel up. Look out for LPG at Vauxhall dealerships with forecourts as they are manufacturing dual fuel cars and tend to have LPG pumps.

He's a big boy, he can take it. Perhaps I should re-phrase that ! :*) He has broad shoulders and all that! Anyway all the tears are dried up now

How many time must I tell you? Don't use your gun for hammering in fence posts!!! Seriously though, you have my sympathies. Any news from the gunsmiths? I have just cleaned my 391 and gave it a good once over but all seems well.

I have a 2000 Grand Cherokee and love it. It goes very well off road but has all the goodies and comfort for day to day use. It's also been voted 4 x 4 magazine 'best off roader'. The X5 didn't fair so well! see the report below - JEEP® GRAND CHEROKEE VOTED THE WORLD’S BEST OFF-ROADER 17 Jun 2004 In a unique shootout between 10 of the UK’s favourite five-door off-roaders, 4x4 magazine has voted the Jeep® Grand Cherokee its ‘World’s Best Off-Roader’. In a series of tests – each designed to put every vehicle through real off-road situations – the 2.7 CRD Grand Cherokee was awarded 193 points out of a possible 250. John Carroll, editor of 4x4 magazine, said: "This test wasn’t about just driving the vehicles through the biggest mud-hole we could find. With a spirit-level, protractor and tape measure, it was about measuring their competence in a true off-road environment. "Our judges felt that Jeep’s Grand Cherokee stood out as being the most capable, this-will-go-anywhere vehicle. The Jeep’s coil-spring suspension and Quadra-Drive system puts the Grand Cherokee in a different off-road league to the others and makes it a worthy holder of the title of World’s Best Off-Roader." Vehicle Points 1 Jeep Grand Cherokee 193 2 Toyota Land Cruiser 184 3 Nissan Terrano 166 4 Nissan Patrol 162 5 Mitsubishi Shogun 160 6 Land Rover Discovery 157 7 Hyundai Terracan 144 8 Kia Sorento 143 9 Mercedes-Benz ML 130 10 BMW X5 105 The 10 tests looked at key off-road criteria such as suspension flexibility and approach and departure angles, as well as ground clearance and axle articulation. The testing also included real world tests with each car completing a hillclimb and obstacle courses. Simon Elliott, Managing Director of the Chrysler Group in the UK, said: "We are delighted that 4x4 magazine has awarded the Grand Cherokee the coveted title of the World's Best Off-Roader. At home in the city or the country the Grand Cherokee is exceptional in every way. The expert panel of judges from the UK's top off-roading magazine has certainly proved that the Grand Cherokee is king of 4x4s." This report came from the 4 x 4 news web site -http://www.4x4news.co.uk/ It has lot's of good reviews.

That's a fine looking chap on the left!!! B) It was indeed a good day. Elma and Jack where up to 50 and I had only had 10 birds :blink: . Then I stuck a rook on the electronic flapper I bought from Deako at the CLA and hey presto! I hadn't tried this before with rooks but it certainly semed to pull them in. The usual half dozen birds landed in the pattern while I had drink in one hand and sandwich in the other and they were not spooked by the flapper at all. Well done Jack, a good bag so early in your shooting career. Elma, you're a spawny ***!

Went to the CLA today. Walked loads, spent loads. Met a few of the PW guys at Deakos stand plus managed to part with cash while there! Was it just me or did it seem to be spread over a much larger area this year. Gun makers row seemed miles from the entrance and I did the trip several times! All in all, a good show.

I would say the rotor along with some of the new camo materials, the better you hide the more birds come in, etc. (this is not intended to start a debate about 'orange plastic builders netting....'

Tried Deako's flying deeks yesterday and they looked pretty good. I don't think I will be using dead birds on the rotor again. I did find a bit of a problem with them. B) My pinewood rotor arms set the birds at about 20 degrees to the horizontal. This gives the impression of a bird with set wings. There was a bit of a wind last night, nothing too bad but the rotor was all over the place. The birds were bouncing about so much it worked the ground spike loose even with the tripod attachment. This has never been a problem before with dead birds. The deeks must present more of a solid wing to the wind. All I need to do is make a new rotor arm 'prong' with a bend in it so the deek is more horizontal/aerodynamic. Other than that it was a very pleasant evening. Shame I shot ****** all. Four woodies for two hours in the field. Despite recces showing loads of birds and good flight lines over a recently cut wheat field, a neighbouring farmer who doesn't allow pigeon shooting cut a field yesterday morning and the little ******* found it straight away. Oh well. By the way, tried deeks only without a rotor with no interest from woodies. Put the rotor out and accounted for the four I shot. Must have pulled a few strays in. Maybe if I was on a good fligh line the deeks alone would have done the job.

Hi Deako, There you go, I have learned something new. I always use the rotor even on stubble to pull birds into the decoys that may be off the flight line or casual passers by. I only tend to pull the rotor in if I think birds are 'spooking'. Is there any reason for not using the rotor over stubble or is this just your experience?

Not me. I'm skint after the CLA!

Getting rid of my 'wiper' rotor and buying my Pinewood Advantage was one of my better moves with regards to weight and bulk. I've had it for about a 18 months or so and it works very well. I actually collected it from Pinewood as they are based close to me. I had reservations about the single spike so they gave me the tripod fittings too. I have used the tripod several times were the soil hasn't been firm enough. Going out tonight after work so I will be able to try Deako's flying pigeons on it. Regarding deeks on rotors, is it best to use the deeks until you shoot the real thing then swap them over or just keep the deeks going? The flying deeks that I bought from Deako look pretty good and I reckon they could stay on all day.

Went yesterday, terrible traffic took 4.5 hours from leaving home in Oxford to parking up. :wacko: Glorious weather although got a bit too hot towards the end. Had a quick walk around but spent most of the time in gun maker’s row and the shooting trader’s area. Went to see the lads at ############## and purchased a pair of their finest flying deeks for my rotor (thanks to Lazza for the Pigeon watch member discount ). I looked at all the other deeks on sale at other vendors and can confirm that in my opinion, Deako’s appear to be the best quality available (I wasn't paid to say that and the discount wasn't that good! B) ) Found another nice gadget, a ‘Pecking Percy’. I hadn’t seen one these before although the name rings a bell. It’s a small servo that spikes in the ground to which you attach one of your standard shell deeks. The unit then rotates from site to side with a pecking motion. Looked very good on display so I had a pair of those too! Should be better next year as the CLA is at Blenhiem Palace, 15 minutes drive from my house so more time to look/spend!!

I don't think it so much of a con, more a case of modern fabrics and designs tend to come in the new style patterns. I used to use standard army issue DP gear. I also had a DP goretex overjacket. This was all well and good but when it rained my trousers got wet. I had loads of separate layers and it was a pain in the butt. I bought a set of deer hunter goretex, thin, light, storm proof and very warm. Much, much better. I think if the MOD could afford to but the good stuff then our troops would be wearing it too!

Gary, Do you do a collect, clean and delivery service? :blink:

... and the ointment too!